The Sound of Dreams

A/N: I'm glad you all liked the last chapter! I thought that would lift a few eyebrows! I just wanted to take a moment to warn everyone that I am Japanese-impaired and that I don't mean to offend anyone if I use anything incorrectly. Most words I have learned have been through Anime and Fanfics, so don't hurt me!! :)


Chapter 5


'Not Naruto! Not Naruto!! NOT NARUTO!!!' Sasuke didn't know when the mental rant turned into physical yelling. All he knew was that he denied the sight before him in the only way he knew how. Strike met parry, swing met block, thrust was countered by dodge. And through the red haze of fury he could hear his best friend's laughter tainted with the hiss of a snake.

Kabuto watched on in amusement as Sasuke lost what little sanity he had left. The dark haired ninja rained blow after blow toward the shorter boy. The smaller boy gave a delighted laugh that would have brought a smile to anyone's face but for the evil undertone in it. The cold arrogant facade was stripped away from the Uchiha, leaving a rage that rendered his attacks hasty and left himself wide open. Kabuto was shocked to see tears trailing down from madly spinning red eyes.

Finally tired of the game, the orange clad figure kicked the pale skinned young man in the chest, knocking him back several meters. He then made a one-handed seal gesture. Sasuke screamed out as his curse seal flared on his left shoulder and started burning a deep purple-red. He writhed in pain for several minutes, trying to unsuccessfully get up to resume his attack. Finally unable to bear anymore, his consciousness faded out.

Yellow eyes looked over to Kabuto. "We need to leave this area. I don't want them stumbling onto us by accident."

Kabuto casually walked over and maneuvered Sasuke over his shoulder. The blonde picked up the Uchiha's sword and resheathed it, his eyes falling on the young man's face for a moment. Kabuto almost swore that his master's eyes flickered green before returning reptilian yellow. Stepping away from each other, they both vanished in wisps of smoke.

Sometime later they entered the cave where they had stored their equipment a few days ago. Kabuto casually dropped Sasuke's limp form near a wall. "I made sure he would sleep a bit longer."

The blonde head nodded wordlessly. He was busy looking over his hands then let those hands wander over his face, tracing over the whisker-like marks. His fingertips brushed the hitae-ate on his forehead and he grimaced slightly. He tugged the offending piece of metal off and tossed it carelessly aside. He then shrugged out of the orange jacket, revealing the black fishnet shirt beneath. He gave the jacket the same look as the forehead protector and tossed it in the same general direction.

Curiously, he pulled up the shirt to reveal a flat firm stomach. He made a gesture with one hand and watched as a black spiral seal appeared around his navel, kanji dancing off in different direction over his skin.

"Is there a certain reason for this transference, Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto finally asked.

"You mean besides avoiding my untimely demise?" he asked absently, running a hand over the seal. Goosebumps raised on his arms as he felt power spark and trickle under his touch.

"I thought you were unable to transfer for another few months."

"No, I was unable to transfer safely for another few months," the rough tenor voice corrected. "As it is, the transfer is ... off. I can't put my finger on it just yet, but it doesn't feel completely normal. Maybe it was because it was rushed. Maybe it was because of the Yamanaka's interference."

"Are you sure it isn't just Kyuubi? Three is pretty crowded for one body." Kabuto started to pull out stored firewood and went to the prepared pit.

"This is an interesting development, Kabuto. I thought most of this boy's power came from his "guest" but he has an incredible amount of chakra. And with the Kyuubi at my beck and call..." His gaze flicked to the unconscious boy. "Maybe I just need his eyes rather than his whole body."

"The transplant can be done," Kabuto allowed. "After all, Kakashi is proof of that. But don't forget that the Akatsuki is after Kyuubi."

"Of course. I had been ready to kill the boy just for that reason. But it looks as if I am the demon's keeper now."

"And Itachi?"

"I will help Sasuke kill his brother as planned. You cannot hate someone that completely without loving them as well. He would develop the Mangekyou and while he is still weak from the fight, we will take the Sharingan. If he dies, we will do the same to Itachi." Those pink full lips stretched into a beautiful smile. "I like the sound of that."

Kabuto started to pull out the ingredients for dinner after he had gotten the fire started. "When we get to a medical facility I will do a complete physical on your new body."

"Yes. I am positively certain there is room for improvement." Orochimaru straightened up his shirt and pulled out a blanket to throw onto the cave floor. He knelt down on the still folded material and quietly watched both of his subordinates.

**********************
Sasuke was lying on his stomach on the dock overlooking the small lake. It was dark out and the stars shined brightly. He could feel the warmth of his best friend's body lightly pressed to his side. They both lay there with chins in hands, watching the fireflies dance. "This is how I always wanted it to be," he murmured quietly.

There was a sense of being both young and old at the same time. As if they had always and will always exist there. "This is a very nice place to be," he was answered in an equally soft voice.

He had to smile. It wasn't often when his companion was still, but when he was it made for a peaceful and serene moment. Something to be treasured. The body next to him shifted and he felt soft lips kiss his temple gently. He leaned into the warmth and comfort that the other body offered, never wanting this darkness, this moment in time, to end.

"It's time to wake up, Sasuke-kun," a voice whispered in his ear.

He pouted and turned to his companion to voice his protests. He met the yellow eyes and flung himself away.

***********************
Sasuke sat bolt upright with a quick indrawn breath. His eyes flickered around until they landed on the body of Naruto. 'No. Not his body any longer.' His eyes shuttered away his emotions and his face assumed its usual cold arrogance. It was too late for his friend. He would only live on in his dreams and even there he was tainted by his master.

"Dinner, Sasuke-kun." Kabuto shot a smile at him, knowing it would piss him off.

"Hn." He moved over to the fire, studiously avoiding looking at Orochimaru. His gaze caught a Leaf hitae-ate and an orange jacket tossed aside like so much trash. His fists clenched unconsciously.

"The first thing I am going to do when we get to one of our lairs is to put some decent clothes on. What kind of ninja really runs around in orange?" Tanned fingers plucked at the offending pants.

"Any ninja that can hide in orange would have to be a damn good one," Sasuke found himself saying with a slightly defensive tone.

Orochimaru blinked then smiled blandly. "I'm sorry, correct me if I am wrong, but isn't this the same ninja you called "Dead Last"?"

Sasuke shot a glare at him. "It was the same ninja that was able to defeat Shukaku without using Kyuubi's powers."

A tanned hand ran through unbound blonde spiky locks. "It is typical, isn't it, Kabuto? That we praise and see the worth of those that pass beyond our reach."

"Indeed. I believe the saying is "Don't know what you've got 'til it's gone"."

"But don't fret, Sasuke-kun. While Naruto-kun was in possession of his body, he was nothing but a nuisance and a distraction for you. As my vessel, he has much, much more potential."

"I thought you couldn't take another body yet," Sasuke said with narrowed eyes.

"Circumstances required otherwise," came the short reply.

"What about me and my revenge?" he demanded.

"You, you, you," Kabuto sing-songed. "Your song never changes, Sasuke-kun."

"Sorry, but my idea of revenge isn't watching my brother die of old age while he hops around to other bodies!"

"Don't worry, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru crooned. "I will still train you. And now it isn't just your and my powers combined. Now we have Kyuubi's powers to draw off of, too."

"Can you even access them?" he asked doubtfully.

"Don't worry about the demon. Soon he will be under my control." He then gave Sasuke another smile that should never have had to grace that face.

Sasuke turned away from that face that should have held eyes of deep sapphire blue and stared into the fire. Shutting out his companions, he forced himself to remember his goals and why he had them. And onto that list he added revenge for his best friend as well.

**********************
Kabuto scanned the cave one last time before he left. They had packed up their gear that morning and were moving on. Nothing seemed to have been left behind. It was then that he realized that the hitae-ate and orange jacket were missing. He smirked slightly, but decided not to say anything.

*********************
He woke up in a familiar flooded hallway. Pipes ran the walls, dripping hollowly to the floor below. An ambient greenish glow with no definable source lit the corridor allowing him to look around. In front of him was a darkly glowing purple wall that blocked off the hall.

Curiously, he reached out to run his hand along the obstruction. As soon as his hand came into contact with the solid barrier, a shock of lightning lanced out and into him. Giving a startled yelp, he jerked away. There was a burn mark on his hand which did not immediately start healing. Sighing, he decided to check up on his unwanted guest first, then he would see what he could do about the newest parasite.

His feet took him along the well-known path until he saw a bright light ahead. Stepping through the doorway, he found himself in a large room with floor to ceiling gilded bars on one wall. A small insignificant seeming paper covered the joint where the two cage doors met.

A large pair of red gleaming eyes appeared and looked upon him in malicious amusement. "Looks like you are well and truly fucked this time," a deep voice growled out in sadistic pleasure.

Naruto scowled at the Kyuubi. "C'mon, help me figure out how to get out of here."

A laugh barked out half in surprise. "And if I knew that, I would still be in here why?"

"I mean back in control of my body. You can't want that snake bastard in charge any more than I do!"

"If it is not me, why would I give a damn who's in charge?"

"Asshole!" Naruto's eyes scanned the walls frantically. There had to be a way out!

"Frustrating, isn't it? To be caged up, unable to escape. To be powerless to free yourself." The eyes narrowed calculatingly. "There is a way."

"How!?" Naruto was ready to grasp any hope with both hands.

"I'll tell you. All you have to do is remove the seal." Naruto could almost hear the smile in the voice.

"No! I won't let you free just so you can kill innocent people!" Naruto would rather stay trapped in his mind forever than let that kind of evil loose on the land.

The demon let out a snort at the "innocent" part. "I'll tell you why I attacked your village in the first place," the demon tempted.

"Old history! It doesn't matter anymore!!"

"It might matter more than you think," the kitsune muttered. It heaved a big sigh, wind gusting from behind the ornate bars of its cage, as it sank back into the darkness. Naruto heard it moving around for a few moments then it seemed to settle itself back down. “Let me know when you are ready to leave this place. Then we’ll talk.”

Naruto knew more or rather could intuit more than people believed. He knew that the demon didn't just rest in him. He knew that they were connected in a way that wasn't reversible. If the seal was broken, he would die in the demon's burst for freedom.

He gave a sigh as he turned around and headed out of the room. He would just have to find an opening or a weak point he could slip through. He snickered to himself. "Some would say my whole mind was a weak point."

************************
Tsunade dismissed Gai and Kurenai, leaving only Kakashi and the ones that had actually witnessed the battle between Orochimaru and Naruto. After the door closed, she looked at Yamato. "Report." Yamato gave a detailed account of the battle that he had observed. Tsunade turned her gaze to Ino, who looked a little worse for wear even after a few days rest. "What did you experience while you were in his mind?"

Ino blinked a few times, trying to put the sensations into words. "It was like a battle was going on. Like one personality was trying to suppress another. An evil presence..." She shuddered as she remembered incredibly sinister blood red eyes boring into her. "Then there were teeth...fangs that tried to grab me...to shred me... to shred my soul." Her voice had taken on a shaky quality and her eyes had dilated in fear. "He was in so much pain." She looked up at Tsunade. "He can feel his body ripping apart under the force of the chakra." She blinked rapidly as tears spilled past her lashes. "How can he stand so much pain?"

Tsunade shook her head slowly. "I don't know." She was about to move on when Ino spoke again.

"It wasn't just his body." She held her hand up to her heart. "He hurts here, too. So much so that it is a physical thing."

Tsunade swallowed thickly. She would love to personally strangle the elders with her bare hands. "Hinata, Neji? Can you tell me who walked off that battlefield? Was it really Naruto?"

"At that point his chakra channels were in transition, Hokage-sama," Neji explained. "They were flooded with what was there before and then another chakra was trying to push through it simultaneously. It was impossible to positively identify who it was at that time."

Hinata nodded her agreement with the assessment her cousin gave.

"There were several scents in the area as well as several chakra residues," Shino volunteered. "We were unable to find anything that wasn't tainted by the battle itself."

"Even with...the red chakra gone, he had enough of his own left to walk off the battlefield and hide his tracks with Kage Bushin," Yamato added. While most of the younger generation here was smart enough to figure out what was going on, years of the topic being taboo made it hard to speak about it clearly in front of people who did not know for certain about the Kyuubi’s relation to Naruto.

"Is there any possibility that it wasn't Naruto that walked out of there?" Tsunade hated even the thought of Orochimaru near her Naruto, let alone the idea of him possessing him.

"No offense, Tsunade-sama, but you know the answer to that better than any of us here," Kakashi pointed out.

"It hasn't been a full three years," she said slowly. "The jutsu only works every three years."

"So there's a good chance it was really Naruto-kun," Hinata said optimistically.

"If anyone had the willpower to resist that kind of jutsu, it would be Naruto," Neji said confidently.

"You are all missing one important fact," Sai said suddenly. "Kabuto ran before Naruto delivered the killing blow."

Tsunade blinked. She remembered her own encounter with Orochimaru and Kabuto. She had been mere centimeters away from killing her former team mate with a touch and Kabuto had attacked to prevent it. Kabuto was exceedingly loyal to Orochimaru. He would not have left the battlefield if there had been a chance that he could save his master. She clenched her fists tightly, pain and anger slamming through her.

No one moved. No one breathed. The room itself seemed to freeze in fear of the killing intent boiling off of the Godaime.

"But as Neji said, if anyone could resist it would be Naruto," Sai said in a cheerful voice. "Or find a way out of it." The others slowly nodded in agreement, relief evident in their faces. "If there is one," he added in the same tone.

"Kakashi," Tsunade said in a dangerous tone. "Get him out of here. Now."

Everyone took that cue to get the hell out of the office before the Hokage lost it.

TBC